The major task undertaken by Islam is the organization of the human life and its protection against disintegration and disorder by rational laws, values, and morals.

In Islam the family is the keystone of the social building and organizes, controls, and supports the order of society; and it is also the starting point for the psychological and moral guidance of the society. So, Islam concentrates on the orderly organization of the family by laying the legal and moral bases necessary for systematizing the life within its limits and describes every psychological and instinctive element that is required. Therefore, it defines the following basic rights as the firm foundation of a family.

1. The rights of a wife upon her husband.

2. The rights of husband upon his wife.

3. The rights of children upon their parents.

4. The rights of parents upon their children.

5. Inheritance.

The Rights Of A Wife Upon Her Husband

In order to establish the relationship between wife and husband on a sound and explicit base in accordance with a clear and defined religious principle, the Qur'an says:

…وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ…

“...And they [women] have rights similar of those [of men] over them in a just manner...” (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:228).

Through this wonderful legal relationship, Islam builds the connection between the couple on the basis of an exact and just equation. The woman has her legal rights upon her husband, as also the man has legal rights upon her. In short, Islam has imposed certain rights upon both husband and wife.

Studying the marital relations in Islam we realise that Islamic laws advocating marital bonds between man and wife are based on affection, mercy, kindness and good treatment towards each other and consider the marriage contract a sacred covenant.

How wonderfully the Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (‘a), refers to this sacred contract! He says:

“When one of you wants to marry a woman, let him say to her: ‘I accept the covenant taken by Allah’…And then (a woman) must be retained in honour or released in kindness…”1

The religious texts and concepts define the rights of the wife upon her husband as follows:

A. Maintenance

The Wife has the right of being properly maintained by her husband and he is responsible for providing his wife with food, clothes, residence, medical treatment, adornment (as per his means) and other expenditures needed by the wife and becoming her social status, on one hand, and falling within the husband's financial means, on the other.

Allah the Exalted says:

أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنْتُمْ مِنْ وُجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَارُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ ۚ وَإِنْ كُنَّ أُولَاتِ حَمْلٍ فَأَنْفِقُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ فَإِنْ أَرْضَعْنَ لَكُمْ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۖ وَأْتَمِرُوا بَيْنَكُمْ بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۖ وَإِنْ تَعَاسَرْتُمْ فَسَتُرْضِعُ لَهُ أُخْرَىٰ

“Lodge them were you dwell, according to your means, and harass them not so as to straiten life for them. And if they are pregnant, them spend for them till they bring forth their burden.2Then, if they give suckle for you, give them their due payment and enjoin one another among you to do good; but if you disagree, then let other [women] suckle for him” (Surah At-Talaq 65:6).

لِيُنْفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنْفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ ۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا ۚ سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا

Let him who has abundance spend of his abundance, and he whose provision is measured, let him spend of that which Allah has given him; Allah does not lay a burden on any soul, expect that which He has given it. Allah will bring ease after hardship” (Surah At-Talaq 65:7).

B. Good Treatment

The following verses of the Qur'an explain the sharing of affection, love, confidence, and respect with her.

…وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ…

“... And treat them [women] kindly …” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:19).

فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ

“…And then (a woman) must be retained in honour or released in kindness…” (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:229).

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ

“And of his signs is this: He created mates for you from yourselves that you might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy” (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:21).

The Messenger (S) said:

“Verily the best of you is the best to his women; and I am the best of you to my women.”3

He also said:

“May Allah bless the man who does good between himself and his wife; as Allah the Exalted has given him authority over her and made him her guardian”.4

Family life is the fountain of happiness and the source of love and affection. In the warmth of the home man finds his comfort and stability, and near his wife he feels pleased and secured.

The more affectionate the relations, the better the companionship between the couple and the deeper the feeling of peace, security, and comfort in the souls of husband, wife and the children.

How exact is the Prophet (S) when he says: “A man's words to his wife: 'I love you' would never go out of her heart.”5

Islam enhances good companionship with the wife, fulfilling her psychological and aesthetic inclinations and satisfying her sexual and instinctive desires so that all their marital dimensions may rub against each other.

It insists even further than that. Islam asks the husband to resort to every means and method that cause his wife to love him, physically, spiritually, and instinctively, tying her tightly to him. Islam urges man to be keen on keeping himself good-looking and attractive to her, responding to her sexual desire, starting with foreplay for excitement so that he may reach climax with her simultaneously, as she is a matching partner to him in enjoying sexual pleasures. She is not a mere means for satisfying man's desire. A Tradition says:

“All the believers’ diversions are futile, except in three instances: in training his horse, in using his bow and arrows and in paying court to his wife, as (only) these are true.” 6

“When one wants to have sexual intercourse with his wife, one may not hasten her, as women too, have their desires.” 7

“Three acts are considered to be rude: to accompany somebody without asking his full name; to refuse an invitation to a meal, or to accept it but refuse to eat; and to start sexual intercourse with the wife before foreplaying.” 8

It is related that The Messenger of Allah (S) on entering the house of Umm Salama, smelled a strong perfume.

He asked: “Is Al-Hawla' here?”

Umm Salama replied: “Yes, she is here complaining about her husband.”

Al-Hawla’ came out and told the Prophet: “My husband neglects me.”

He said: “Give him more, Hawla'.”

She answered: “I leave no perfume without using it, but he still disregards me.”

He remarked: “If only he would know what he would get by approaching you!”

She asked: “What would he get by approaching me?”

The Prophet replied: “If he approached you, two angels would escort him, and he would be like a man drawing his sword to fight for the cause of Allah. Then by having sexual intercourse, his sins would fall off him like leaves from a tree and when he takes the bath, his sins would wash off him.” 9

Al-Hasan ibn Al-Jahm narrates that he saw the Imam Al-Rida (‘a) with his beard dyed. So, I asked him: “May I be your sacrifice, I see you have dyed.” The Imam said. “Yes, embellishment increases the chastity of women. They abandon chastity when their husbands abandon embellishment.” Then he continued, “Would you like to see her as she would see you, without adorning herself?” Ibn Al-Jahm replied in the negative. The Imam replied, “that is it. The habit of the prophets is to be clean, to use perfumes, to trim the hair and to frequent their wives.”10

By the above quotations regarding rights of the wife upon her husband we can illustrate a clear picture of leading a good marital life and fulfil all aspects of the material, moral, instinctive and aesthetic relations between husband and wife.

The Rights Of A Husband Upon His Wife

To complete the equation between man and woman, Islam grants the husband certain well-defined rights upon his wife. (These are, however, less expensive, and narrower in scope than her rights upon him.)

By analysing the Qur'an and the Prophet's Traditions we discover the basic rights granted by Islam to the husband upon the wife - rights that are explicitly and exactly defined:

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ

“Men are the maintainers of women, because Allah has made some of them to excel others, and because they spend out of their property [for the support of women]” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:34).

According to a narration, a woman came to the Prophet (S) and asked him: “O Messenger of Allah, tell me what right has the husband upon the wife?” He said: “A lot.” She said: “Explain me some of them.” He replied, “She may not fast without his permission,11nor may she go out of her house without his consent. She has to use the best of perfumes, to wear the best of her clothes, to adorn herself as best as she can, to offer herself to him day and night, and still his rights are more than that.”12

For a better explanation, the husband' s rights upon his wife can be classified as follows:

A. Protecting His Home, Wealth, And Children

The husband should make the necessary arrangements for the household and the family, otherwise the wife is not responsible for housekeeping, cooking, cleaning etc.

It is not compulsory for her to suckle her children, attend them or nurse them. Yes, Islam renders these affectionate acts for the woman and considers them good deeds and a away of approaching Allah, unless such responsibilities are stated by the husband in the conditions of the marriage agreement.

A Tradition concerning man's right upon his wife, says: “No Muslim got a better benefit from Islam than a Muslim wife who pleases her husband, obeys his orders and protects his honour and his property during his absence.”13

We also read about a wonderful arbitration conducted by the Messenger of Allah (S) between the Commander of the Believers, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) and his wife, Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet (S). The Imam Al-Sadiq (‘a) narrates: “Ali and Fatimah came to the Messenger of Allah (S) for arbitration concerning housework. The Prophet (S) decided that all household work should be done by Fatimah, and all the works outside the house were to be done by ‘Ali (S). Fatimah later said: ‘None but Allah knows how much pleased I was with this judgement of the Messenger of Allah (S) which spared me a man’s job.”14

B. Obedience And Authority

The family is an important social unit whose orderly construction depends on sound discipline and efficient organizing. As there should be someone entrusted to shoulder responsibility over his beloved family and undertake the task of guidance and leadership within its prescribed limits, Islam has therefore, authorised the husband to be obeyed and given him the upper hand over his wife and children, until they come of age. This authority, however, is under the condition that he may not issue orders contradicting the commands of religion and its principles. If he orders his family to commit a sinful act, his right will lapse and he should not be obeyed. A Tradition says:

“No creature is to be obeyed in disobeying the Creator.”

The following quotation from the Qur'an confirms the rights of a husband:

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ

“Men are the maintainers of women, because Allah has made some of them to excel others, and because they spend out of their property [for the support of women]” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:34).

A Tradition of the Messenger of Allah (S) says: “She may not go out of her house without his consent and should obey his orders.”

C. Good Behaviour

In order to provide an atmosphere of love and stability for her husband and her children, she is to do away with all causes of unrest, disgust and whatever may disturb the peace of the family. This can be achieved by showing affection and amity to the husband and by infusing the home atmosphere with feelings of love, joy and kindness. Man may not see in his wife, nor hear from her, what he hates to see and hear. The more the sense of beauty grows in one's self, the more one's need for love and affection is satisfied and the less the causes of trouble, boredom, frustration, bitterness and hatred, etc. Thus, such a harmonious family life full of love, joy and affection would certainly have its effects on the behaviour of its members, and on their relations with the society, especially the children, who grow up in the arms of such a loving atmosphere, contrary to a miserable and unhappy family, where the husband leads a life of hatred, tension, repulsion and ill - temper, thereby bringing ruin to the family. Such environments badly affect the children, causing them to be complex and miserable, or even pushing them to be aggressive, irresponsible and lead a vagabond life.

Islam urges the mother to be the source of love, beauty, peace and security in the house and advises her to endeavour to create a tightly knit family life full of harmony and affection.

A man said to the Messenger of Allah (S): “I have a wife who welcomes me at the door when I enter the house and sees me off when I leave. When she sees me grieved, she asks me: ‘What are you grieved for? If you are anxious about your livelihood, it is guaranteed by other than you; or if you are worried about your hereafter life, may Allah increase your worries.’” The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “Allah has agents and she is one of them. She will get half a martyr's reward.”15

According to Jabir ibn 'Abdallah Al- Ansari: Once the Prophet (S) said: “The best of your women is the prolific, the affectionate, the chaste, the endeared of her family, the humble to her husband, fortified against other than him, listens to what he says, and obeys his orders, offers herself to him when alone, but not in an unabashed manner like his.”

D. Pleasing The Husband

The wife should pay proper attention to her make - up and appearance, to attract the husband and respond to his sexual inclinations, since this is quite effective in pulling the man to his wife and strengthening the relations of love between them, she should provide him with ways of enjoying her beauty and satisfy his desires and prevent him the temptation of throwing himself into the traps of forbidden desires.

The Imam Al-Sadiq (‘a) relates that a woman who came to the Messenger of Allah (S) was asked by him whether she was a 'put -off woman?' She asked the meaning of that, and the Prophet replied: “She is the woman who, when her husband calls her for some need,16keeps putting it off until he falls asleep. Such a woman will, then, continuously be cursed by the angels until her husband wakes up.”17

The Qur'an briefly states the right of enjoying one's wife, by saying:

نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَكُمْ فَأْتُوا حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّىٰ شِئْتُمْ ۖ وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Your women are tilth for you [to cultivate] so go to your tilth when you like and do good beforehand for yourselves and be careful [of your duty] to Allah, and know that you will [one day] meet Him. Give glad tidings to believers [O Muhammad]” (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:223).

According to the above verse, the Qur'an confirms man's right to enjoy his wife in diverse ways, as she, too, has the right to enjoy this relationship.

The moral and legislative note of the above verse regarding this lawfulness is evident by the ideal advice of the Qur'an:

وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“…and do good beforehand for yourselves and be careful [of your duty] to Allah, and know that you will [one day] meet Him. Give glad tidings to believers [O Muhammad]” (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:223).

These pieces of advice concerning man, woman and the sexual relations prove the fact how intelligently Islam has devised ways for both husband and wife to enjoy themselves according to their respective rights, so that there can be neither oppression, nor exploitation of the woman as a result of man's extravagance or misuse.

Islam, which encourages the woman to pay attention to her beauty, appearance, and adornment for her husband and to show affection to him, at the same time prohibits her from doing the same for any other man than him, because it would create psychological separation between the couple and drive the woman to deviation, shamelessness and faithlessness, besides creating tension, mistrust and hatred in her husband's heart, and finally destroying the noble edifice called family.

Hence a Tradition says: “If a woman angers her husband unjustly and sleeps, Allah would not accept her prayers until the husband is content with her; and if a woman uses perfume for or than her husband, Allah will not accept her prayer until she washes it away as she washes pollution from herself.”

The Rights Of Children Upon Their Parents

Children are the fruits of marital relations. They are the adornment of the house, the beauty of the family, and the seeds guaranteeing the continuation of life. That is why Allah has made maternal affection the strongest of all other living instincts. Childbirth is linked to the desire to survive and be eternal and children represent the continuation of the parents' survival in life.

Islam expresses and interprets these and innate human feelings through its laws and legislations, regulating marriage, parental relations, and responsibilities, defining the parents' relations with their children and designing the rights and duties of each member in proportion to his role in the family.

A. The father is responsible for providing sustenance for his children as well as meeting their other needs as long as they are below adulthood and even after it, should they be unable to earn their own livelihood due to reasons accepted by Islamic law, such as illness, disability, and the like.

In this way this relationship and the principle of reciprocal undertakings continue. These relations have material and moral dimensions effective in the construction of the family and the society and in strengthening the ties among the members of the family. So, the father is the one who is responsible for arrangements to bring up, nurse, suck and attend his children during their childhood. The mother is exempted from this task. Islam gives the mother the right to be paid for giving suck to her children and for nursing and bringing them up, as the mother is not responsible for that. But she is responsible for proper care and guidance for her children and to bring them up as best as she can, since her role at home is that of a teacher, educator, and guide.

But if she volunteers to take care of her children, give them the suck, nurse them, etc., it will be a deed Allah likes to see, and rewards her for it. Actually, Islam encourages her to do so but without any compulsion or obligation.

B. The second right of the children upon their father is the latter’s duty in bringing them up with proper guidance and treating them with the spirit of love and affection.

Naturally a child needs paternal care, love, and affection, much as it needs milk, medicine, clothes, etc. The following Traditions urge love and affection towards children:

“Love children and have mercy on them. When you promise them, keep it, as they think it is you who support them.” 18

“Whoever kisses his child, Allah the Exalted writes for him a reward; whoever pleases his child, Allah will please him on the Resurrection Day; and whoever teaches his child (how to read) the Qur’an, he, and the mother (of his child) will be dressed in the hereafter in suits whose illumination will light the faces of the dwellers of paradise.” 19

“Allah will have mercy on the man who passionately loves his child.” 20

It has scientifically been confirmed that children who live in an environment of love, affection, and parental care, grow up free from any complexities, psychopathics and symptoms of weak personality. Science has also proved that harmonious parental relations have positive effects on the behaviour of the children and on their relations with the others, in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. On the contrary, the child who lacks affectionate treatment and grows up in an atmosphere of hatred, spite and negligence, acquires a loose and weak personality, irresponsible and aggressive behaviour, and suffers from inferiority complex.

Consequently, Islam lays stress on the responsibility of fathers in bringing up the children with proper guidance. It says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is mean and stones, over which are set angels strong and severe, who do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do as they are commanded” (Surah At-Tahrim, 66:6).

A man came to the Messenger of Allah and asked him: “What right has this son of mine upon me?” The Prophet replied: “Give him a good name and a good education and place him in a good position.” 21

Thus, it is the responsibility of the father to guide his children and educate them so that they can lead a righteous life. Islam entrusts the father or the consanguineous grandfather, authority, and control over the children. At the same time, it holds him responsible for his children's behaviour to the rights of others in society.

The Rights Of Parents Upon Their Children

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

“And We have enjoined man concerning his parents – His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years – Be grateful to Me and to your parents. To Me is the eventual coming” (Surah Luqman 31:14).

“Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and (you show) kindness to your parents. If one of them or both of them reach old age with you, say not ‘Fle’ to them nor repulse them, but speak to them a generous word” (Surah Al-Isra’ or Bani Isra’il, 17:23).

وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُلْ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

“And make yourself submissively gentle with compassion and say: O Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did for me (when I was) little” (Surah Al-Isra’ or Bani Isra’il, 17:24).

Islam does not grant such great attention and respect to any others except the parents, nor is anybody else granted rights similar to those of the parents upon their children.

Allah states their rights next to His upon man. As He commands man to acknowledge Allah's generosity and to thank and worship Him, likewise he commands man to thank his parents, obey them, show kindness to them, have mercy on them and be humble to them, as they are the means of man's existence and the source of life. The mother had borne him in her womb, nourished him with all her heart and love, tenderly whispered lullabies in his ears day and night, deprived herself from comfortable sleep in order to attend him, throughout her life surrounded him with feelings of love and care. She regards him as her soul and her heart beating in another body. So naturally she deserves to be treated with kindness.

Is there anyone more deserving than her?

There is a Tradition which says: “Paradise lies at the feet of the mother.”

How expressive was the Prophet's answer to a man who came to him and asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Whom should I be more dutiful to? The Prophet (S) replied: “To your mother.” The man asked: “Then to whom?” He replied: “To your mother.” Once again, the man asked: “Then to whom?” The Prophet (S) said: “To your father.”22

The respect of the mother does not mean that Islam has neglected the father. In fact, both the parents are to be obeyed and respected by the children.

A Tradition says: “Allah's pleasure is in father's pleasure and Allah's displeasure is in father's displeasure.”

The father is the beloved up bringer, the sustainer, the spender, and the one who exerts his efforts and bears hardships to provide for his children a happy and comfortable life. He sees his children as an extension of his own existence and an extension of his life after his death.

The letter which the Imam Ali (‘a) sent to his son, the Imam Hasan, is an example for all fathers who believe in Ali's noble principles and endeavour to follow his lofty ideas:

“My dear son, you are a part of my body and soul and whenever I look at you, I feel as if I am looking at myself. If any calamity happens to you, I feel as if it has befallen me. Your death will make me feel as if it was my own death. Your affairs are to me like my own affairs…”23

So, if these humane feelings and noble aspirations are showered by the fathers on their children, then the logic of morals and the conduct of conscience dictate to the children to respect their fathers and be kind and thankful towards them, since the children's offers, and feelings are too meagre to match those of their fathers. Therefore, the sons' duty is to be kind, thankful and grateful, as an acknowledgement and an attempt to feel content, never as a complete and full compensation, nor even a quittance.

In order that the paternal rights may not be mere moral advice or recommendations, Islam has defined these rights as legal duties and obligatory legislations, imposed on the sons, and warns them of severe punishment for neglecting to carry them out. The sons must take care of their fathers when aged and in need. They have also to sustain them if they are incapable of working. In case of any deviation on the part of the son the Judiciary has the right to force the son to obey. Islam regards negligence towards one's parents a capital sin and prohibits even the slightest sign of such disobedience; even the utterance of such an expression as “fie,” let alone showing the signs of hatred towards them.

A Tradition says: “The least disobedience is to say 'fie' [to the parents]. Had Allah known anything less than that, He would have forbidden it.” 24

“Whoever looks at his parents with aversion, even if they have wronged him, Allah would accept none of his prayers.”25

Thus, Islam enjoins the sons to be kind to their parents, even if the latter wrong them. So, it keeps on emphasizing the necessity of being kind and lenient to the parents that it regards a look of love and mercy at the parents a kind of worship to Allah, as is evident from the following Tradition:

“Any affectionate look by a son towards his parents is servitude to Allah.”

This is encouraged not only during their lifetime, but this heartfelt and deep human relation of the sons to their parents is to continue even after their death, as a dead father is more in need of kindness than a living one. Life is the world of events and human activities, where man can manage his own affairs, or seek the help of others to accomplish or solve them. But a dead man can do nothing:

هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ

“My power has gone from me.” (Surah Al-Haqqah, 69:29).

وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ

“And a barrier is set between them and that which they desire…” (Surah Saba, 34:54).

فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَوْصِيَةً وَلَا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

“They cannot make bequest, nor can they return to their own families.” (Surah Yasin, 36:50).

Therefore, a dead man is cut off from this world except for the causal relations created during his life.

Good deeds done during his lifetime are the only assets in the hereafter. So, he needs a virtuous existence here, enriching and growing it with means of goodness, since his fate in the hereafter depends on what he has done in this world.

He cannot go back, but he is still in need of help to set his misdeeds aright. So, who can help him? Who can make up for the man's misdeeds in this world to which he cannot return? The Traditions of the Prophet (S) answer these questions. They point out the extension that the man has left behind and which continues even after his death. This extension is part of him, a good harvest of the seeds he had sowed.

The Prophet (S) said: “When a man dies, his acts stop, except for three: (In leaving) a running charity, a benefitting knowledge (for mankind) and a virtuous son who prays for him.”

Thus, as the Prophet (S) says, kindness towards parents does not stop at their death but should continue even after.

A Bedouin once asked· the Prophet (S): “O Messenger of Allah! ls there any more kindness that I can do for my parents?” He answered: “Yes, pray and ask forgiveness for them, pay their debts which were left unpaid, keep the kinship bonds which may not be kept without them and honour their friends.”

Therefore, sons have to be kind to their parents, do good to them, pay their debts, perform their obligatory duties which they could not do during their lives, such as prayers, fasting and pilgrimage, and continually ask Allah to forgive them.

These are the rights of parents upon their sons, as are clear from the following Tradition:

“If a man is obedient and kind to his parents during their lives, but when they die neither he pays their debts nor he asks forgiveness for them, Allah would register him as disobedient. And likewise, if a son who is neither kind nor dutiful towards his parents but after their death, he pays their debts and asks forgiveness for them, Allah the Exalted would register him as an obedient son!” 26

So, Islam enjoins the eldest son to compensate for the prayers which his father could not perform during his life, in case the father had not paid somebody else to do so.

Furthermore, the heirs are to pay for the deceased's pending Hajj pilgrimage, fasting and debts, as well as to recompensate those who had been wronged by him, all out of his legacy before dividing it among the heirs.

Doubts

Inheritance

Concerning inheritance, we wish to clarify an often-repeated accusation by the enemies of Islam in respect to the woman's share of a legacy.

It is common among the orientalists and their followers, as well as those who harbour ill will against Islam, that this religion has wronged the female and treated her unjustly by allotting her only half of what is allotted to the male heir.

As a matter of fact, Islam does not allot the female half of what is allotted to the male in all cases as a general rule, except for a few. In certain instances, the female takes half of what the male takes:

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ ۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ …

“Allah charges you concerning your children: the male shall have the equivalent of the portion of two females ...” (Surah An-Nisa', 4:11).

In some other instances she gets the equivalent of a male's portion:

وَإِنْ كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ ۚ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ

“…and if there is one (only) she shall have the half. And for his (the deceased’s) parents each of them shall have a sixth of the inheritance if he has a son…” (Surah An-Nisa', 4:11).

Here we read that a sixth is to be paid to each of his father and mother. Thus, they both, a male, and a female, receive equal portions.

Yet, in some other instances, the female gets even more than a male’s portion, such as when a deceased leaves a girl and one of his parents. In this case the parent takes one-fourth, and the girl receives the other three-fourths.

It is evident in this case that the grandfather or grandmother gets one-fourth, while the daughter gets three-fourths.

Therefore, the distribution of' inheritance in Islam does not belittle the right of the woman whatsoever.

Furthermore, if we analyse the facts, we realize that the reason for a less portion of a legacy for a female is not because she is a female. The legacy wisely takes into consideration the natural laws, social justice, the degree of the relatives to the deceased, their number, etc. Otherwise, how can we explain the equality of the male and the female in certain cases, and even a larger portion for the female - up to three-fourth of the whole legacy - in some other cases?

Polygamy

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَىٰ فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا

“And if you fear that you cannot act fairly towards the orphans, then marry such women, who seem good to you, two three or four; and if you fear that you cannot do justice (between them) then (marry) only one or that your right hands possess; this is more proper that you may not deviate from the right course.” (Surah An-Nisa', 4:3).

وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ وَإِنْ تُصْلِحُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

“And you will not be able to deal equally between (your) wives, however much you wish (to do so). But turn not altogether away (from one), leaving her in suspense.27If you do good and keep away from evil, surely! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (Surah An-Nisa', 4:129).

By throwing a scrutinizing look at the history of human ignorance, - past and present - and by trying to picture the human personality under these periods of ignorance, in respect to their ideas, inclinations, psychological directions, and behaviour, we are apt to observe that the man of these ignorant cultures takes an attitude of antagonism, enmity, opposition and obstinacy towards the Divine Religion, driven by his carnal desires and whims on one hand, and by his ignorance and arrogance, on the other. He is always trying to affront and oppose, even if the facts are clear and evident. He starts contradicting and protesting, even if his heart admits the truthfulness of these facts.

He stubbornly sticks to the path of deviation which reflects his drives and wishes, even if the straight path is quite visible to him and promises him salvation. He looks for the unlawful and is inclined towards the abnormal, even if he has discovered the lawful and the normal course.

Such people are described by the Qur'an:

أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ اتَّخَذُوهُ

“…and if they see the way of righteousness, they do not take it for (their) way, and if they see the way of error, they take it for (their) way…” (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:148).

These characteristics are true today of the individual living under the contemporary materialistic cultures of present-day ignorance, as they were true of the individual of the ancient nations of the past era of ignorance.

The modern individual finds before him the path of marriage as a lawful way of satisfying his sexual urge, nevertheless he criticizes such legal ways, tries to ridicule, and belittle them, then turns to abnormal practices, drowning in the dirty depths of vice which destroy him both spiritually and physically. Driven by these psychologically ill factors the enemies of Islam, the orientalists, the evangelists, the nihilists, all waged an unjust offensive battle against Islam to distort its laws and regulations, and vainly tried to disprove them, in order to deceive mankind and prevent it from obtaining a sound and scientific vision of Islam.

Therefore, by sincerely analysing and studying Islam, we find it a religion in full harmony with the nature, life and man's social conditions and circumstances. It efficiently handles diverse problems and conjectures of the marital and sexual relations between man and woman inside a family and a society. It fights abnormality, deviation, and deprivation. It presents a perfect and flawless system protecting man and woman against resorting to deviation and abnormality.

For example, research discloses that women are more in number than men, as a result of wars and human conflicts - as happened during the two world wars -leaving untold number of women, far exceeding the proportion of men. In some instances, women may be barren and incapable of giving birth. In others, wives may be inflicted with certain diseases preventing the husbands from having normal sexual relations. And in still some other cases women may not be able to sexually satisfy their husbands. All these problems cannot be solved except through polygamy, which would be the correct way to prevent men and women from falling into the slime of adultery and prostitution as a result of suppression and deprivation, and ruin their bodies with diseases, as is the case in non-Islamic societies.

Actually, these societies, which do not accept polygamy, live in a state of nihilism and moral decline, such as the European, American, and Socialist societies, where adultery and prostitution have become a common reality and new and dangerous diseases like Herpes and Aids have cropped up. These societies refused legal polygamy, but took to illegal polygamy, choosing the path of deviation and abnormality to satisfy their whims and desires.

It is clear from our discourses that this great religion, Islam, raises the woman to the highest level, and grants her respect and status in the society in a way never precedented in any civilization ever since the dawn of history to our present era.

It is also obvious that Islam has given its best and keen attention to the proper bringing up of the individual so that he becomes a useful member in a virtuous, harmonious, and happy family - a family that is a strong brick in the construction of the great Islamic society.

Thus, Islam is free from the extremes and excessiveness the characteristics in the Western and Eastern doctrines, whether concerning man-woman rights, or the importance of the individual in the society.

As a matter of fact, Islam clearly displays a complete harmony and a general coordination between the rights and the duties of the individual and the society, as well as a wise and just distribution of the responsibilities and the duties of man and woman.

And Praise Be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

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• 1. Al-Kulayni, “Furu’ Al-Kafi”, Vol. 5 p. 502.
• 2. This refers to the period of alimony for the divorced wife who, if pregnant, is to be provided for till she gives birth to the child.
• 3. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 122.
• 4. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 122.
• 5. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 10.
• 6. Al-Kulayni, “Furu’ Al-Kafi”, Vol. 5 p. 50, ed.3.
• 7. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p. 93.
• 8. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 93.
• 9. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 76.
• 10. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 183.
• 11. means voluntary fasting, so that it may not prevent him from enjoying himself with her.
• 12. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 112.
• 13. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 23.
• 14. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 123. This decision about which one of the couple may undertake the domestic work is not an obligation, but a sort of guidance.
• 15. Al-Hurr Al- ‘Amili, “Wasa’il Al-Shia” Vol 7. p 17.
• 16. That is, to make love.
• 17. Al -Kulayni, “Furu ' Al – Kafi,” Vol. 5 pp. 508&509.
• 18. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol.6., p. 49.
• 19. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol.6., p. 49.
• 20. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol.6., p. 50.
• 21. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol.6., p. 48.
• 22. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol 2., p. 159.
• 23. “Nahjul Balagha,” Letter No.31.
• 24. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol 2., p. 348.
• 25. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol 2., p. 348.
• 26. Al-Kulayni, “Al-Kafi,” Vol 2., p163
• 27. That is, she may neither be a wife recieving her due rights, nor a divorced having no husband.